Democratic Republic of the Congo

WFP’s emergency crisis response currently covers seven of the most populous and conflict-affected provinces – North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Kasai, Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental and Tanganyika. A significant scale-up of WFP activities was required to reverse the deepening hunger crisis and WFP’s strengthened field operations yielded substantial results by enabling the organisation to reach 6.9 million beneficiaries in 2020 with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance. In 2021, WFP is targeting 8.7 million people.

WFP has helped reduce the propagation of the Ebola virus by providing food to Ebola patients and to those who have come into contact with them, and by providing crucial logistical services, including trucks and air transportation, which enable responders to reach new or remote outbreak areas quickly. WFP also launched a school feeding programme in the affected areas to address the needs of the population through a more holistic approach and build trust and positive engagement.

WFP in partnership with FAO, UNHCR and UNICEF works with returnees, IDPs, refugees and local communities to build assets that improve resilience to shocks, promote self-reliance and economic recovery. These joint programs help smallholder farmers to improve production and trading capacities, provide trainings on agricultural techniques, literacy to promote women’s empowerment, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Small-scale livelihood activities are also being developed with refugees from Central African Republic and host communities.

In order to treat and prevent malnutrition, WFP is providing specialized nutritious food to vulnerable people including children under 5, and pregnant women and nursing mothers.

WFP provides meals in schools in several regions of the country. The school feeding programme stimulates local agricultural production, improves pupils’ concentration and boosts enrolment and attendance.

The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service provides aid workers, donors and diplomatic missions with safe, flexible, efficient and cost-effective air transportation to locations across a country the same size as western Europe. UNHAS also enables access to Ebola-affected areas for the entire response community.

WFP leads on logistics in the coordination of the humanitarian response in the DRC. Along with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) WFP also co-leads the coordination of food security activities.